The Favour
by FiveRoses
Summary: Jane needs a date for a wedding, so he asks Lisbon because he knows she'll understand that it's not a date-date and...well, who else is he going to ask?  It doesn't seem to occur to him that what he's really asking for is trouble...
1. A Little Favour

_I wrote this first chapter many months ago, but, having not yet developed my current nerves of steel for writing Jane/Lisbon romance, I quickly floundered and got stuck. When I rediscovered this yesterday, I wrote the rest of it in one sitting. It has 5 short chapters, and I will post the rest over the next few days when I've had a chance to give them a once-over. It is intentionally as light and insubstantial as a soap-bubble, a vehicle for banter and feel-good moments, so I hope you will receive it in the spirit in which it was intended._

_Disclaimer: No dead bodies, no angst, 100% Jane and Lisbon fluff... you do the maths!_

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**A Little Favour**

Jane popped his head around Lisbon's office door.

"Hey, Lisbon," he said, "can I ask you a little favour?"

Lisbon looked up enquiringly, her body language relaxed and unconcerned. Encouraged, Jane came into the room, shut the door and sat down. Lisbon tensed immediately. What kind of 'little favour' required a closed door?

"Don't look so worried, Lisbon. It really is a harmless little favour," Jane said, immediately picking up her change in demeanour. He chose his next words carefully. "I've been invited to this wedding that I'd really like to attend, but I can't go without a date and so I was wondering if you'd go with me, as a favour to a friend? I would really owe you one."

Lisbon made a face. Attending some strangers' wedding was not a way she'd willingly spend her free time. Formal-wear, small talk, boredom and discomfort... it sounded like a pretty big favour to her.

"Whose wedding is it and why do you have to have a date?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Ah, that's the good part. This is one of _the_ social events of the year, Lisbon. Remember that case last year where Senator White's son was the lead suspect until we caught the real killer?"

Lisbon nodded. It was one of the few cases where people in powerful places had commended them on their crazy antics, instead of wanting to sue and/or fire them. Jane had been quite the golden boy on that particular occasion, and he'd made the most of it, basking in the senator's wife's adoration and scattering charm about like largesse. Needless to say, he'd been a hit.

"Well, the senator's daughter is getting married, and I've been invited to the wedding. Mrs White included a special hand-written note in my invitation saying how much she hoped I could come. She said it wouldn't be the same without the man who had single-handedly saved their family." Jane beamed at Lisbon.

Lisbon snorted. "Single-handedly? Were the rest of us invisible?"

She was amused that Jane still seemed to have a bit of a crush on Mrs White (and vice versa, it appeared). He'd been unusually taken with her during the case, though it hadn't seemed to Lisbon that his interest was sexual or romantic in any way, especially since Mrs White was a good 15 years older than Jane. She had thought perhaps the woman reminded him of his mother. In any event, she'd made an impact, and Jane clearly didn't want to turn down her invitation.

"Well, come with me and remind her that you were there too," Jane said, grinning at her.

"Why do you want to go with me?" Lisbon said, still reluctant. "I'm sure there are lots of women who would jump at the chance to go."

"Such as?"

"I don't know." Lisbon waved her arm vaguely to indicate the world at large. "There are plenty of women out there, aren't there?"

Jane glanced out of Lisbon's office. The only woman in sight was Van Pelt.

"Hmm. I don't think Van Pelt would be an appropriate choice, given everything that's gone on with her and Rigsby, and I don't really know any other women."

Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"Don't be silly, Jane, you know lots of women, almost all of whom would be delighted if you asked them out."

"Almost all?" Jane said. "And who are the hold-outs, pray tell?" When Lisbon just looked amused, he continued, "Anyway, therein lies the dilemma. I don't want to go with someone who's inevitably going to think it's a date. I want to go with a friend. Which means you're it."

Well, when he put it like that...

"Fine," she said, giving in. "When is it?"

Jane actually looked both relieved and grateful, which, Lisbon had to admit, did warm her heart a little. He whipped the invitation out of his pocket and handed it to her with a flourish. She cast her eyes over the various details, then stopped in dismay when she read the address.

"L.A.?" she exclaimed. "Funny how you never mentioned that it was in L.A., Jane!"

She glared at him.

"Oh, come on, Lisbon, live a little. We go to L.A. all the time. And you won't have to worry about a thing. I'll make all the arrangements and pay for everything. All you have to do is show up." He pulled out his wallet and extracted a credit card. "In fact, if you don't have a suitable dress, that's on me too. I'll even help you shop for it if you want."

"Jane! This is not _Pretty Woman_! I don't need you to buy my clothes for me!" Lisbon's voice had gone up a notch in consternation.

Jane looked a little startled and embarrassed at the comparison.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said. "I just didn't want you to have to go to any trouble or expense on my account. Why do you always refuse my gifts, Lisbon? It's as though you think I have some nefarious purpose in giving them to you."

Lisbon just shook her head and ignored the question.

"I already have a dress I can wear," she said, then added in a resigned voice, "This is going to take the whole weekend, isn't it?"

"Well, the wedding starts on Saturday afternoon and will probably go on till quite late, so we'll need to fly down that morning and check into our hotel. We can fly back the next afternoon."

"You're going to owe me big time for this, Jane," Lisbon said, wondering how she always let him talk her into things she would never normally consider doing.

"Just add it to my tab, Lisbon," Jane said, pleased with the success of his mission. Then he grinned at her and kindly left her to her reflections.

TBC


	2. Saturday Morning

**Saturday Morning**

Flying with Lisbon was an extremely streamlined affair. She travelled light, taking her small bag on board with her so as to avoid the annoyance of having to collect checked luggage at the other end. Jane, having travelled with her often enough to know the drill, did the same. They had their timing down to a fine art, arriving shortly before the cut-off time for their flight and boarding almost immediately. Once on the plane, Lisbon settled in with an air of resignation. She didn't like being trapped in a space she couldn't leave at will. It violated her sense of autonomy.

To distract herself, she said to Jane, "So, tell me more about this wedding you've so adroitly finagled me into going to."

Jane, who had just been pondering this very topic, responded readily.

"Like I said, it's _the_ society event of the year. Everyone who's anyone will be there, which means that it's the perfect opportunity for us to observe these people in their own element."

Lisbon looked blank. "What people?"

"Politicians, Lisbon. Rich, connected, politically powerful people. We need to stay on top of our game, and to do that, we need to keep an eye on exactly these types of people. I'm tired of having them jerking our chains all the time. I'm tired of watching you falling all over yourself to placate them. It's time we took the initiative here! Take the battle to the enemy. Find out all their secrets, so that we have some leverage."

Lisbon looked at Jane, aghast.

"Please tell me that's not the real reason you want to go?"

"Well, also I haven't been to a wedding in forever. I like weddings. All that optimism is good for the soul. I think it'll be fun."

Lisbon's thunderous expression indicated that she disagreed.

"Jane! Unless you faithfully promise me that not only will you behave yourself impeccably throughout this ghastly event, but you will also not leave my side the entire time, I'm going to catch the next plane back to Sacramento the moment we land."

"What about bathroom breaks?" Jane asked.

"Huh?"

"Surely you don't want me coming with you to the bathroom? Or vice versa? Though I'm touched that you want my company so much."

Lisbon glared at him.

"First of all, I hate making small talk with strangers, so I expect you to be next to me at all times doing the heavy lifting in that regard. Second of all, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, and if you're safely by my side, it'll be much easier to keep an eye on you. And last but not least, the only reason I'm going is because you need a date, so it would be incredibly rude of you to then breeze off on some scheme of your own and leave me to fend for myself. As far as the bathroom goes, you'll just have to make sure you synchronise your bathroom breaks with mine."

Jane grinned at her.

"Don't worry, Lisbon, I had no intention of leaving you on your own with those sharks. It intrigues me, though, that it doesn't seem to occur to you that circumstances could arise which might make you _want_ me to leave you to your own devices."

Lisbon looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you planning Jane?"

Jane laughed.

"Nothing, Lisbon. It's just that usually when single people go to weddings as friends, they have a agreement that if one of them finds someone they fancy, the other will make themselves scarce. Naturally I wouldn't do that to you, since I was the one who asked you to go, but you would be perfectly entitled to ask me to get lost if you were to meet a suitable admirer."

Lisbon looked at Jane like he'd grown another head.

"Jane, I have no intention of picking up a man at this thing! What do you take me for?"

Jane sighed, and settled back in his seat.

"Every now and then, Lisbon, it wouldn't hurt to let down your hair a little. Be that as it may, since you asked me so nicely, I promise I will stick to you like superglue and will behave as beautifully as Little Lord Fauntleroy. Happy?"

Lisbon gave him a friendly shove of protest, but was secretly rather relieved by his promise. She'd been having alarming visions of him abandoning her to go off and impress adoring crowds of admirers. The idea of being left on her own to socialise rather appalled her.

The flight was without incident and they took a taxi from LAX to their hotel. At first Lisbon thought there must be some kind of mistake when they pulled up in front of a 5 star hotel, but Jane just said complacently, "Ah, here we are," and held the door open for her to get out. It took him a moment to realise that he'd actually (finally!) succeeded in rendering Lisbon speechless – a near-impossible feat, as he'd learned from bitter experience. He was wise enough to now enjoy his victory in silence.

Slightly dazed, Lisbon waited while he signed them in and claimed the key-card for one of the hotel's best suites. Various members of the hotel staff hovered nearby, ready to do their bidding like they were visiting royalty.

Lisbon had never really given Jane's financial situation much thought, but it appeared that he was lot better off than she had ever imagined _(And this is the man who makes me give him money for candy!_ she thought irritably). Either that, or this was some kind of elaborate trick that she hadn't worked out yet.

The hotel suite was one of the most beautiful places she'd ever seen. She explored the rooms with unconcealed amazement. Jane followed her, grinning hugely. He wasn't above impressing a woman in such a simple, tried-and-tested fashion and Lisbon, who wasn't even pretending to play it cool, was clearly not above being impressed. It was rather comforting to know that they were both able to be so fundamentally normal every now and again.

Lisbon finally summed the place up with her usual gift for brevity and under-statement, "Fancy."

"I'm glad you approve," Jane said.

Lisbon gave him an amused side-long glance.

"Why don't we order up some lunch, and then you can pick which bedroom you want and we can unpack while we wait for the food?" Jane suggested.

The slight flicker of excitement in her eyes told him that Lisbon considered ordering room service a rare and exotic treat. CBI expense accounts did not cover such luxuries; besides which, most of the places they stayed in for work considered themselves luxurious if they boasted a vending machine in the lobby and a stale doughnut as the breakfast part of 'bed and breakfast' (an offering only Rigsby was prepared to eat). Gourmet menus had not been a big feature in Lisbon's homes away from home.

Jane smiled to himself. Lisbon had better brace herself, because he planned to show her the time of her life this weekend.

TBC

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_P.S. Thank you to the anonymous reviewers to whom I couldn't reply personally! Your encouraging words are much appreciated._


	3. Saturday Afternoon

**Saturday Afternoon**

Lisbon was in heaven. She felt as though she had stepped straight into a movie and, despite her sneaking suspicion that this was Jane's oddball way of protesting her _Pretty Woman_ remark, she was finding that she was totally susceptible to the charms of excessive luxury.

When their amazing lunch arrived, they took it out onto the balcony where they could enjoy the sea view and its accompanying breezes while they ate. Lisbon then succumbed to the temptation to wallow in the ridiculously huge bathtub until her skin wrinkled in protest, after which she spent a peaceful hour getting ready for the wedding.

She was a little nervous about her outfit, because she had no idea whether she would be suitably dressed or not. Still, better to be a bit out of place than have Jane pick her outfit for her. She had her pride, after all.

When she was finally ready, she emerged rather shyly from her bedroom and presented herself to Jane, who had been ready and waiting for some time. For a split second his eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he was quick to hide his reaction. Lisbon, however, was a woman looking to her date to assure herself that she looked good, and she didn't miss his all-important little slip. It set her mind at rest.

"You do indeed have a dress, Lisbon," Jane said smoothly, smiling at her. "And you look very beautiful in it."

"Thank you, Jane. You're looking pretty dapper yourself."

He _was_ actually looking rather good. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a grey waistcoat and had thankfully abandoned his old brown shoes in favour of some shiny black ones. Although he wasn't really her type (she preferred tall, dark, lean and tough), she still found him aesthetically pleasing and she also knew it didn't hurt to have a good-looking man on your arm when you had to venture into Society with a capital S.

"Shall we?" he said, offering her his arm, as if in response to her thoughts.

"I guess," she said, still a little reluctant to leave the climate-controlled safety of their suite.

Jane could sense how vulnerable Lisbon felt when removed from the security of her no-nonsense clothing and her persona as a cop. Being a beautiful woman in a stunning dress wasn't something she'd had much practice with and it made her feel awkward and out of her depth.

"We're going to have fun, Lisbon, I promise. I'll make sure of it," he said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered, but she allowed him to usher her out of the room.

One of the hotel's limousines was waiting for them at the front entrance. The driver was a friendly, garrulous guy, who had plenty to say about the wedding they were going to. He told Lisbon she would undoubtedly be the most beautiful woman there and suggested that Jane stick close to his lady or some other enterprising guy would try to steal her away. He was a little taken aback at Lisbon's evident dismay when he mentioned that he planned to return at midnight and would be waiting when they were ready to leave. Jane naturally couldn't resist a facetious remark about Cinderella and pumpkins, but the driver obligingly gave Lisbon his card and told her to call any time and he'd be there within ten minutes (God willing). He added that the limo had an excellent track record of _not_ turning into a pumpkin, regardless of what time it was.

He dropped them off with cheery wishes to have a great time. Jane gave Lisbon a moment to gird her loins before they made their way in among the throng of guests. Glancing around, Lisbon was relieved to see that (as far as she could tell) they were suitably dressed and should therefore blend in. Then she mentally kicked herself for having such a rash thought. She was with _Patrick Jane_ – what were the odds that he'd allow them to do something as dull as blending in?

"Don't look so worried, my dear," Jane said softly in her ear. "They won't eat you."

As he had intended, this roused Lisbon's ire, and the withering glare she threw him was accompanied by a straightening of her back and a resurgence of the confidence and authority that he liked and admired so much about her.

"The only thing I'm worried about, Jane," she said acidly, "is how much chaos you could potentially cause at an event like this. I feel like I've brought a live bomb into a crowded space."

"Except that you're not the one doing the bringing," Jane reminded her. "This is not work and you are not responsible for me. Please try to relax and just enjoy yourself. I promise I'll keep quiet when they get to the bit where they ask whether anyone knows of any reason why the couple shouldn't get married."

"Gee, that's encouraging," Lisbon said, "especially since that wasn't something I'd thought to worry about."

The guests were starting to take their seats for the ceremony, so Jane and Lisbon followed suit. Lisbon did relax a little then and when Jane started to make _sotto voce_ comments in her ear about their fellow guests, she actually started to have fun.

"That frightening-looking battle-axe in the lurid pink outfit is, I believe, the mother of the groom. She thinks that this marriage is a bad idea, because, regardless of the innocence of the parties involved, a scandal is a scandal, and the family her son is marrying into is now tainted and unworthy. However, her son overrode her objections and she's _not happy_ about it."

"Do you know this because you've been reading up on them or are you just making stuff up?"

Jane gave Lisbon a wounded look.

"After all this time, how can you say that I 'make stuff up'? You know better than anyone that I know what I'm talking about."

"So you read about it then?" Lisbon said, smiling sweetly at him.

Jane gave her a quirky grin.

"Always so keen to put me in my place, Lisbon. Surely you know by now that my ego is quite unsquashable? I have to commend you on your perseverance, though. And for your information that was a cold read, not a gossip magazine read."

Undeflated by Lisbon's scepticism, he continued to show off until the bridal march cut him off. The bride looked radiantly happy as she floated down the aisle to her groom and Lisbon felt a familiar pang deep in the most hidden parts of her soul. Weddings made her feel lonely, and loneliness was not an emotion she generally gave herself time to feel in the normal course of her busy life.

Suddenly she felt Jane's hand slipping into hers.

"Thanks for coming with me, Lisbon," he murmured into her ear. "Weddings are no fun when you're on your own."

And just like that, the loneliness vanished.

TBC


	4. Saturday Evening

_Thanks again for the reviews, particularly those I couldn't thank individually. I'm glad you guys are having as much fun with the fluff as I am. Here's the (slightly longer) penultimate chapter._

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**Saturday Evening**

The dreaded mingling started once the reception got going. With Jane in charge, though, Lisbon found that it was not as formidable as she had anticipated and once again found that she was rather enjoying herself.

Jane was at his most charming and had their fellow-guests eating out of his hand. Faithful to his promise, he stayed a few inches from Lisbon's side at all times, often with his hand hovering at the small of her (tantalisingly uncovered) back, clearly marking her as his own.

He thought it was rather funny that she had thought she had to make him promise to stay with her. The truth was that wild horses couldn't have dragged him away. He was fully in agreement with their chauffeur – he needed to make his proprietary claim over her very clear to the other men in the room or he stood a very real chance that one of them (her protests to the contrary notwithstanding) might lure her away. He was very aware of the disquieting fact that he wasn't Lisbon's type and that there were innumerable men in the room who were. Despite what he'd said earlier, he wouldn't be at _all_ happy if she went off with someone else. She was _his_ date. His very beautiful, very desirable date. And he didn't plan to share her with anyone.

Mrs White came fluttering over to them as soon as she had a chance, and welcomed Jane like he was her long-lost son. Jane lapped it up happily. Lisbon tried to hide her amusement and allowed herself to also be swept into a welcoming embrace.

"_So_ glad you could come," Mrs White was saying excitedly. "And _such_ a long trip. We're all still _so_ grateful for what you did for our son. You positively _rescued_ us from the brink."

Lisbon found Mrs White's conversation a little exhausting, but since the net of gratitude had been thrown wide enough to encompass her too, she tried to arrange her features into the right expression to receive overflowing thanks. Until, that is, they decided (quite of their own accord) to register extreme consternation instead.

Mrs White had cheerfully commented that she had had _no idea_ the last time she saw them that they were a couple, but that she was _simply delighted_ for them both. It was _simply wonderful_, wasn't it, how the human heart was able to heal, and wasn't love the _most_ marvellous thing in the world?

Before either of them could say anything to correct this alarming assumption, someone came and whisked Mrs White away from them. The mother of the bride was naturally much in demand.

Lisbon turned on Jane.

"Jane, you need to fix this! The last thing I need is for word to get around that you and I are dating!"

Jane drew himself up a little.

"Would that be such a terrible thing? And don't you think you're over-reacting a bit? Who here is going to care whether we're dating or not?" Aside from all the hungry-looking men who were circling Lisbon at a discreet distance, of course. And Jane certainly hoped they would think she was his, since he was sending out very clear signals to that effect to all the males in the area. He wasn't about to tell Lisbon that, though. What women didn't know couldn't cause international incidents.

Lisbon was not mollified by Jane's cavalier attitude to something she thought was a Very Big Deal. She glowered at him, so he hurried to add, "It's an understandable mistake for people to make, but equally easy to fix. We'll simply set the record straight, okay?"

Lisbon nodded, but the little frown-line between her eyes did not completely disappear. Jane sighed.

"Don't let this ruin our fun, Lisbon. Here," he grabbed a couple of glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, "have something to drink and forget about Mrs White and her overly romantic view of the world."

Their conversation was interrupted by a request that all the guests find their seats for the speeches and dinner. Lisbon's mood soon greatly improved when she discovered how good the food was. She barely even noticed the speeches because she was too busy trying to work out what her appetiser was and how it was possible for something to taste so wonderful.

"Enjoying your aphrodisiac, Lisbon?" Jane asked with a smirk.

"Absolutely!" Lisbon replied, ignoring his tone.

Jane was people-watching. He'd been doing it covertly all evening, but the socialising had necessarily narrowed his scope. Now that he had a bit of leisure to sit and observe everyone in the room, he was making the most of it.

"You know," Lisbon said to him, "If you try to observe, analyse and cold read every person in the room simultaneously, there's a very good chance your head will explode. Which, since it would probably ruin both my dress and this amazing dinner, would be upsetting."

"Well, thank you for your heart-felt concern, Lisbon," he said, turning to look at her. "I could focus all of my attention on you, if you'd prefer."

"And force you to miss the lady in the red dress making eyes at the gentleman across the room who most certainly isn't her husband? I wouldn't do that to you, Jane."

Jane glanced involuntarily in the direction of the woman in the red dress and Lisbon grinned. The lady in question wasn't making eyes at anyone; she was far too interested in her meal to bother about men. Jane looked reproachfully at Lisbon.

"Feeding me misinformation, Lisbon? That's not very nice."

"Irritating, isn't it? Maybe you'll remember that the next time you feel the urge to do it to me."

Since the incident with Mrs White earlier, Jane had decided that the safest tactic with Lisbon was to ply her with alcohol. A tipsy Lisbon was far less likely to stress out about unimportant things than a nervously sober Lisbon. To this end he kept topping up her wine-glass whenever she wasn't paying attention, as well as procuring her several glasses of champagne, which he knew she had a weakness for. By the time the dancing started some time later, she was far too mellow to protest.

Jane liked dancing with Lisbon at any time, but dancing with a tipsy Lisbon in a dress that gave him unprecedented access to her bare skin was on a whole different level of enjoyment. For a start, she melted into him quite willingly, her rigid set of boundaries greatly relaxed by the alcohol. Nor did she protest when his hands touched the bare skin of her back, other than to tell him to please not tickle her. Added to that, Tipsy Lisbon was fun. She let him spin her about and do silly dance moves that made them both laugh, and she seemed to like it as much as he did when he pulled her in close for the slow-dance.

In fact, all in all, Tipsy Lisbon was rather going to Jane's head. He started to feel a little tipsy himself, although he knew he hadn't drunk enough for the feeling to have been caused by alcohol.

Without intending to, he abandoned his attempt to keep an eye on the other party-goers and focussed all his attention on Lisbon. If he'd stopped to think about it, he would have been annoyed with himself for abandoning his post just when the average alcohol intake in the room had reached the point where people were beginning to do rash things and give away their secrets. Jane, however, had more important things on his mind.

He was thinking about how silky Lisbon's skin was. He was thinking about how wonderful her dark hair looked when she leant forward and it slipped over her shoulder in a thick tumble of soft curls. He was noticing with surprise that Lisbon's chuckle was eliciting an intense sexual response in parts of his body that had lain dormant for years. He stopped thinking entirely when she turned her green gaze on him and smiled.

Another sudden interruption brought a rather dazed Jane back to himself. The bride wanted to throw her bouquet and she was asking all the single women to gather on the dance floor. Lisbon gave Jane a look that could have melted steel, so he wisely slipped her from the dance floor. They weren't quite quick enough, however, and a bossy-looking matron noticed them and headed in their direction with the evident intention of harassing Lisbon.

"Quick," Jane said to Lisbon, "put this on."

He slipped off his wedding ring and offered it to a startled Lisbon. When he saw that she was going to protest, Jane took her left hand and slipped his ring onto it himself. Just as the old harridan arrived, Jane ostentatiously took Lisbon's left hand (ring clearly displayed) and said, "Shall we go and get a drink, my dear?" He then swept her away out of danger.

"You didn't need to do that, Jane," Lisbon said softly to him.

"Yes, I suppose it probably wasn't the best way to set the record straight," he said, grinning at her.

This reminded them both of Mrs White, and Lisbon said what they were both thinking.

"We'd better make ourselves scarce in case Mrs White takes it into her head to come looking for you for the garter-throwing part of the proceedings."

"Perhaps we should take that bathroom break you promised me," Jane suggested. "Honestly, Lisbon, it's not normal the way you hold your liquids."

There was a moment of startled silence from Lisbon, but then her eyes met Jane's and they both dissolved into laughter. They made their escape to the bathrooms still giggling like a couple of teenagers (though they would have both categorically denied any suggestion that either of them had ever giggled in their lives, had the subject ever come up).

"We should probably hide out for about ten minutes, just to be safe," Jane said.

It was only when they were in their separate hideouts that they both remembered that Lisbon was still wearing Jane's ring.

Lisbon noticed it when she was washing her hands. She knew she ought to take it off, but there was something so extraordinary about the fact that Jane had put his precious ring on her finger that she was reluctant to remove it. She spent most of her allotted ten minutes of hiding gently spinning the ring round and round on her finger.

Jane noticed the missing ring almost as soon as he went into the bathroom. It made him pause for a moment, as though he'd suddenly lost his bearings, but then he remembered that the ring was on Lisbon's finger, and he knew that there was no safer place in the world that he could have chosen to put it. He trusted Lisbon implicitly. She had held his life in her hands many times in the past and she had always kept him safe. He knew she would continue to do so.

When they met up again, Lisbon shyly took off the ring and returned it to Jane. He had fully intended to put it straight back on, but when the moment came he suddenly decided to slip it into his pocket instead. Neither of them commented on this unexpected move, but the atmosphere between them became suddenly charged with a confusing mix of suppressed excitement and questioning uncertainty.

When they made their way back into the reception, they discovered that the bridal party was getting ready to leave. Many of the guests were clearly intending to stay on and enjoy the party without them, but Jane and Lisbon both agreed (without quite looking each other in the eye) that they were ready to call it a night.

Jane managed to track down and say goodbye to Mrs White before they left. He knew Lisbon expected him to correct Mrs White's assumption that the two of them were dating, but since he suddenly wasn't entirely sure that she was wrong about that, he (slightly guiltily) refrained from saying anything.

"Setting the record straight isn't really your strong suit, is it?" Lisbon commented mildly as they made their way out to the waiting limo, but he could tell she didn't really care. Tipsy Lisbon evidently still had the upper hand.

Or perhaps, Jane thought hopefully, she just had other (more Jane-friendly) things on her mind...

TBC


	5. Sunday

**Sunday**

The trip back to the hotel was quiet, other than a few cheerful comments from their irrepressible chauffeur. A strange silence seemed to have settled between Jane and Lisbon. A waiting silence. And they both had a pretty good idea of what it was they were waiting for.

Jane was vaguely aware that the plans he'd made to give Lisbon the time of her life and impress her socks off (_not that she's wearing socks_, he thought distractedly) had veered wildly off-course, but he was no longer interested in anything other than getting her back to the hotel room.

They didn't touch each other on the elevator ride up to the hotel suite; didn't even dare to look at each other as Jane fumbled to find the key-card to open their door. But then they were both in the room and the door was closed and suddenly Jane couldn't wait any longer.

He slipped one arm around Lisbon's waist, brushed her hair back over her shoulder with his other hand and then leaned in and gently kissed her. Although he knew she had been both expecting and wanting this, he could still feel the moment Tipsy Lisbon vanished and Sober Lisbon made an alarmed return. But although she stiffened slightly in instinctive uncertainty, she didn't pull away.

For a few moments everything hung in the balance as a newly sober Lisbon made up her mind. Then she slid both her arms around his neck and relaxed into the kiss. Jane responded hungrily and unhesitatingly, pouring years of unacknowledged desire into every touch of his mouth and hands. He was almost undone, however, when she pressed her body against his, slid her fingers into his hair and smiled against his lips. Simultaneously weak with relief and wild with excitement, his hands actually (frustratingly) started to shake. It was several minutes before they were steady enough for him to begin to tentatively undo the tie around her neck that held up the front of her dress. When she made no move to stop him, he began to guide her gently into his bedroom.

It was only when he'd backed her up to the bed that she came up for air long enough to comment, "I thought the whole idea of inviting me to the wedding was to avoid exactly this?"

"As you are so fond of pointing out, my plans seldom go the way I expect them to," he responded, finally managing to remove her dress and gain access to all that skin he'd been thinking about all evening. "And yet the results are always satisfying."

"Like the time we got shipped to Mexico in a container, for instance?" she said dryly, as she got the last of his buttons undone and relieved him all at once of his jacket, vest and shirt.

"Merely a detour _en route_ to a satisfactory conclusion," Jane said airily. "And just think how many great stories you have to tell because of me."

"I'm thinking that tonight is your chance to make it up to me for all those great stories," Lisbon said, and her gaze was suddenly so intense that the fire in Jane's blood leapt like an accelerant had been poured on it.

"I'll do my best, my love," he said softly in her ear, before proceeding to do just that.

0000

When Lisbon awoke the next morning, she found she was alone in the bed. Suppressing a twinge of anxiety, she pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself before venturing into the next room. Jane, unselfconsciously dressed only in his boxers, was just closing the door behind one of the hotel staff. As Lisbon breathed in the delicious aroma of a full English breakfast, he turned around and saw her. His face lit up.

"Hey, sleepyhead. I thought you were never going to wake up, so I decided to lure you out with the smell of bacon. Worked like a charm."

He came over and kissed her, then backed up slightly so that he could get a good look at her face and gauge her mood now that they were in the dangerous quicksand of the morning after.

"You are a prince among men," Lisbon said, moving towards the covered food, and nearly tripping over her sheet.

Jane, eager to live up to this lavish praise, disappeared into the bathroom to fetch her a complimentary bathrobe, which he then helped her to put on. Gratefully, she untangled herself from the sheet.

"So how long have you been awake for?" she asked, hoping that he wasn't going to say that he'd been up the whole night.

"Only about half an hour," Jane admitted. "But it was a very tortuous half-hour which tested the limits of my self-control. I very badly wanted to wake you up."

"So why didn't you?" Lisbon asked, interested.

Jane looked a little abashed.

"Come on, Lisbon, we both know you're not a morning person."

"You were afraid!" Lisbon exclaimed, amused. "Finally! I was beginning to think I was losing my touch. I shouldn't let you make me doubt myself." She grinned at him cheekily.

"I wasn't afraid of _you_, Lisbon," Jane said, deciding a defense was called for. "I was merely afraid of losing my status as a prince among men. I have standards to uphold."

"Right," Lisbon said in a disbelieving tone. "Shall we eat?"

Jane shot Lisbon an amused grin which she returned before turning her attention to the food. They both tucked into their breakfast with gusto.

About half-way through the meal, Lisbon suddenly said, "You're thinking so loudly I can barely hear myself chew."

Caught out, Jane gave a wry half-smile. Since she'd brought it up, though, he thought he might as well be honest.

"I was regretting that we only have a few more hours here before we have to return to the real world. I guess I'm just wondering whether, when we get back to Sacramento, sensible, practical, workaholic Lisbon will reassert herself and kick me to the curb."

"Is that your way of telling me that you don't want this to be a one night stand?"

Jane looked genuinely shocked.

"I would never consider having just a one-night stand with you, Lisbon," he said reproachfully.

"And yet you think I would?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him and giving him a pointed look. "Don't you know me better than that?"

"Yes," he said softly, "but you're also a smart lady who could easily decide in the sober light of day that she's made a big mistake which she doesn't plan to repeat. Happens to the best of us."

"I knew what I was doing last night, Jane, and I don't think it was a mistake. I think we could be good for each other if we give ourselves half a chance."

Jane gave her a wide, wonderful smile.

"Well, we don't have to check out for another few hours, so I say we go back to bed and give ourselves the chance to be very, very good to each other."

He stood up and held his hand out to Lisbon, who grinned and took it.

"Lead on, Macduff," she said.

"Don't you think Romeo would be a more appropriate comparison, given the circumstances?"

"Too tragic. Let's compromise on Bottom."

Jane opened his mouth to make a retort, but Lisbon cut him off with, "Surely, Jane, you can find something better to do with your tongue than argue about Shakespearean characters with me?"

As it happened, Jane could...

THE END


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